Phil Everly died Friday in California from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He was 74.

The Volpis brought flowers and joined other music fans who paid their respects at the one-room, 20-by-15-foot house where the Everlys lived as children.

Phil and Don Everly's presence looms over Shenandoah. There are signs, a monument and even a street named after them. But the affiliation wasn't always so strong.

The brothers moved to Shenandoah when Phil was 5 and Don was 7, and lived there until they were in high school. The boys and their parents performed as the Everly Family on KMA and KFNF radio in the town.

"We're very proud of having someone in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame come through KMA, but growing up in the late '60s and early '70s, I don't remember hearing a lot about the Everlys, other than people telling me this is where they used to live," said Don Hansen, a DJ with KMA who grew up in the town. "It wasn't until I started working here in high school that I found out they were on the station."

Things started to change in the mid-1980s. In 1983, the brothers reunited after not speaking for nearly a decade. With the Everly Brothers performing again, Shenandoah resident Bill Hillman dedicated himself to bringing the brothers home again. He achieved that on July 5, 1986, when Phil and Don returned to perform outside his restaurant, Depot Deli.

At the time Shenandoah had a population of 6,200. More than 8,000 people paid $10.50 each to attend the show. The brothers spent the day revisiting spots around town, signing autographs and visiting with fans. During the concert, rain, thunder and lightning kicked up. The Everly Brothers finished the show, but part of Hillman's plan to make the show profitable was predicated on fans hanging out and buying beer afterwards.

The show was a money loser for Hillman, but a win for the community. Fans traveled from around the country to see the Everly Brothers in Shenandoah. CBS broadcast from the city. The brothers gave the money back to the city in the form of a scholarship that continues for high school and middle school students.

Most importantly, the tie between Shenandoah and the Everlys was firmly established in the public consciousness.

Hillman's Depot Deli has Everly memorabilia scattered all over its walls. There are multiple autographed photos, illustrations, high school yearbooks, guitars and more. In 2006, he purchased the Everlys' small childhood home and moved it across the street from his restaurant. His plan has been to transform it into a "living museum."

It's too small to house much more than it already does, which includes the boys' childhood bed, but he wants to make it into a recording studio for acts passing through the city.

Fans can visit, but for now it also serves other purposes. Until recently, it was the home of Santa Claus for the city. A tree, wrapped presents and free toothbrushes for children still sit inside. Kids didn't realize that the singers of "Bye Bye Love" slept in the bed, not Santa.

"For a lot of us, they were just 'The Boys,'" Hillman said. "If you say 'The Boys' here, people know you're talking about the Everly Brothers."